2019 Artisan Bakery Expo

Leslie Mackie
Founder
Macrina Bakery & Café


Leslie Mackie picked up her kitchen skills at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, but baking was her true love. She was soon creating pastry for acclaimed chefs Lydia Shire and Susan Regis at Biba in Boston. Later, while working as a restaurant consultant in Los Angeles, she found herself more and more interested in bread, drawn by the combination of science and intuition required when baking. She was among the first wave of Americans experimenting with recipes from European master bakers and a long, slow fermentation process. Mackie rediscovered the craft's traditional, almost spiritual importance. "To me, making bread is being an artist," Mackie says. "In France, bakers are revered because bread is such a central part of the family and the community." Leslie was head baker at Seattle's Grand Central Bakery, then in 1993 she opened her own place, Macrina. All of Seattle knows of Macrina's irresistible artisan breads. You can find your favorite at grocery stores and gourmet shops throughout the region – along with more than 100 restaurants in the Puget Sound area. Macrina has been written up in Sunset Magazine, Pacific Magazine, Bon Appetite, LA Times, and The New York Times, not to mention endless coverage and accolades in The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Seattle Magazine, and Seattle Met Magazine. Leslie's recipes reach well beyond Seattle, from her appearances on Julia Child's "Baking with Julia" television series (and inclusion in the companion cookbook) to features on many Food Network shows. Leslie received a 1999 outstanding contributor award and several nominations for the “Outstanding Pastry Chef Award” from the James Beard Foundation, which honors food and beverage industry professionals in America for their achievements. They are the nation's most prestigious honors for culinary professionals. Leslie has written two cookbooks – Macrina Bakery & Café Cookbook and More from Macrina.

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